Heavy fuel odor in car

[Randy Harris]

66 BJ8. Drove top up today, a very rare occurrence. I was almost knocked out by the intense gas smell in the car. I immediately suspected carb overflow. Checked and no odor or fuel leaks from the engine. Scooted under the car expecting to see a drip or a puddle or something - nothing! I wasn't in a place that I could easily check the fuel pump for a leak but I would have expected to find some gas on the ground if it was leaking - nope. Looked in the boot thinking maybe a leak from the fuel filler area - again, nothing. But it does smell of fuel.
I'm open to ideas. What should I look for?
Thanks
Randy

 

[Keoke]

Hi Randy, Remo9ve all the carpets from the boot over the fuel tank and and check around the fuel sender unit.Similarly, remove the cover over the fuel filler pipe and make sure all the joints are tight. If the tank was full and the car parked for a significant time it may have overflowed into the drain channel around the boot lid a bit and penetrated under one of the small rubber bumpers or a loose rivet located along the bottom of the boot lid.---Fwiw--Keoke

 

[Ed_K]

Randy,
Check where Keoke said. If you cannot find any damp spots around the fuel sender or filler pipe connections;
Look carefully at the fuel line connection where it attaches to the front of the tank for dampness. You also better take a look behind the rear passenger side wheel for signs of pump or fuel line leakage. Other than these areas, your tank has probably rusted through somewhere and if you cannot find any damp spots on the sides of the tank, you may have to take it out and check it for rust through. My Healey used to have that strong gas smell in the boot and I never saw any wet spots. I pulled out the tank to clean and paint it. When I cleaned off the rust, I discovered that in one place, all that was holding in the gasoline was rust. When I cleaned it, it looked like swiss cheese in one area. I cleaned the entire tank and treated it with Jasco rust neutralizer. Then I covered the holes with masking tape and wrapped the entire tank on the bottom, ends, and sides with fiberglass. Once that cured, I used the kit that Moss sells to clean, etch, and then coat the inside of the gas tank. No more gasoline odors anywhere ! If you find rusty looking areas on the tank, that may be your " swiss cheese " area right under the paint and top layer of rust. Perhaps buying a new tank is less trouble than fixing the old one but it is more expensive. Your choice if you have the problem.
Ed